Five times Reese didn't care and One time She did
by ShamrockNinny
Summary: Five times Charlie was hurt and Dani didn't care and one time he was hurt and she did. And that one time made all the difference.
1. Chapter 1

I love life and I wish it had a bigger fan base

When Crews was tackled by the bloody groom she wasn't worried. In fact it was sort of funny. Especially when they fell into the pool. To survive twelve years in prison having to fend off serial killers and giant violence hungry men and the exonerated cop was taken out by a drunk sobbing groom When they didn't show a sign of coming up she sighed in resignation. It was up to her then to get her new partner out. With a small smile on her face she pulled out her tazing baton.

After Crews was pulled out of the pool Reese crouched down and looked at him. She wondered what it was like being in prison. She cocked her head to the side, hopefuly Crews didn't stick around long enough to prove he still had prison traits. If he did her life was going to be interesting to say the least. She patted his cheek calling his name trying to wake him.

When Crews did wake up he felt awful. Everything hurt. He looked up to see his partner looking at him in amusement and annoyance. He looked around, he was soaking wet and Reese had a tazing baton in her hand. Great, only his first week back and his partner had already electrocuted him. He looked up at her and saw a familiar look. He knew that face. The ones some guards got when yo u were puking your guts out or walking slow because you had just gotten the crap beat out of you. It was one that said they thought your pain was funny and were annoyed that you were making their job harder. He felt a wave of pain and anger roll over him. He ignored it though, prison had taught him that much, it had also told him that no one cared and so with gritted teeth from the pain he got up and put on the show he always displayed. A big smile and eager attitude. And so the two partners walked into the hotel one thinking of the poor bride the other how no one had cared and even though he wasout of prison nothing had really changed because no one cared.


	2. Manny Umaga

Crews kicked in the bedroom door and walked in his gun poised as he rounded the corner. An object flew into the room and with no given time for reaction Charlie stood there as the flash bang went off. His eyes went wide as his ears rang. He saw colored dots flashing in his vision but he also saw Manny Umaga jumping a fence right outside. With his ever prevalent determination he ran jumping out the window giving chase as his mind spun. He jumped the fence and began running down the driveway his speed deterred by his reeling head. He tried to shake his head to clear it keeping his mind set on one thing. Chasing the suspect. A police car pulled up on the street causing Manny to turn left jumping yet another fence. Manny sprinted into a house Crews not far behind. Bursting out the door his eyes wandering for Manny. Charlie was unprepared for Manny to suddenly turn around and grab him slamming him against a shed door. His head flipped back making painful contact with the door. Three more times his head hit each making him feel dizzier, the last making him nearly pass out. It stopped as Manny pulled a knife out holding it against Charlie's throat. Going by instinct Charlie drew his knife already knowing that his piece lay ten feet away. Manny saw the knife and backed away his knife still held in a offensive posture. Charlie raised his up mimicking Manny's position both preparing for a knife fight.

"Drop it!" Reese's voice rang out. Neither man broke their stances or eye contact

"I said drop it! Drop your weapon!" Dani said leveling her gun at Manny. A tense moment passed as nothing happened.

"I said drop it!" Dani yelled again. Manny finally gave in dropping his weapon putting his hands up at Dani's command. Charlie went around and cuffed Manny, slamming him against the shed door. Dani eyed Charlie her eyes holding suspicion. As they got in the car Dani glanced at Charlie.

"I thought you were a cop" she said

Charlie looked at her confused.

"Pulling that knife was what a convict would do, you aren't a convict still, are you Crew's?"

Charlie didn't answer his head hurt to much and he couldn't see straight the only thing he knew was that those sentences made him upset yet for the life of him he couldn't think of why. Manny sat in the back asking if Charlie was ok and if he didn't have a bad concussion that Charlie wouldn't press charges. On hearing this Dani looked over at Charlie. He didn't like that face. She thought he deserved a concussion for acting like a convict. On the surface he agreed almost but deep down it hurt and he couldn't help but wonder truly if he really did deserve to be hurt. That thought scared him and for once he didn't cover it up with zen he just ignored it choosing to lean his head back and think about how pretty the trees were.


	3. Ex-Wife

Charlie turned his lights on to his car indicating the driver in front of him to pull over. As they pulled over he pulled up behind them. Hopping out of his car with a smile on his face and a bounce in his step he walked up to the car. He set his arm on the top of the car and leaned down the smile still sitting there as he looked at his ex-wife's knew husband. The man looked over upon seeing Charlie he became very irritated. He ground his teeth and swung his head forward his hand resting on the steering wheel. Charlie smiled even more brightly.

"Yes officer?" he choked out anger making his words strained.

"You changed lanes without turning on your blinker sir" Charlie said faking a professional voice.

"I'm going to need to see your drivers license"

"Are you really going to do this Crew's?"

"Your license please" Charlie said ignoring him.

"Why can't you move to Hawaii and leave me and Jennifer alone?"

"Please get out of the car sir" Charlie said still ignoring him.

LIFE_LIFE

"What the hell are you doing Crew's?!" Dani yelled at Charlie. Charlie shrugged .

"I keep getting complaints from your ex-wife's husband about harassment!" She said

"Soon he's gonna have the right prosecute you in court for that!"

Charlie again shrugged.

Dani shook her head "I just don't get you Crew's. I just don't get you"

She turned and walked away leaving Charlie staring at the desk. His eyes were filled with pain and glazed over from not being able to deal with it. Everything Dani had said hurt but just like in prison he wouldn't let it get to him. Because how could Dani know what it was like to lose the person you loved more than anything else in this world and see her with another man. How could she know that it felt like hell to see that his wife still loved him but wouldn't keep him. How could Dani know what it felt like to lose everything and then to think you could get it back just to have it smashed in your face and taken away again. How could she know what it was to feel like nothing. So he shrugged it off because how could anyone know and how could anyone care?


	4. Jumping Fences

"Do you see any ringer?" Charlie said. Dani shook her head no.

Charlie began climbing up onto a garbage can.

"Here hold the garbage can still while I climb up"

Dani walked over looking at him with her eyebrows raised. "What are you going to do?" He looked at her a boyish smile on his face.

"I'm gonna ring the door bell" As he got on top of the metal fence three kids came up on their bikes.

I wouldn't go up there mister" Charlie looked at them his eyebrows raised in his usual expression of curiosity.

"Why not? Does he have dogs?" he asked

"No dogs. Guns, lots of guns" the little boy answered. Charlie looked at them and then looked over at the house. A gun shot rang out startling him and making him fall from the gate. From the outside perspective it looked like he had been shot. Charlie blinked his eyes open and groaned in pain as he rose rubbing his now bruised hip.

"Crew's?" Reese's voice rang out.

"I'm still here" He looked at the house to see it heavily armored. One of the windows was open a crack showing the barrel of a gun. Another shot went off right next to his feet causing grass and turf to shoot up around him. He jumped back in surprise windmilling his arms to maintain balance.

"Crew's?!" Reese's voice repeated again

"Still here" he answered back. He raised his hand and slowly approached the house a couple of steps.

"What are you doing?" Tom yelled out.

"I'm a cop! I came to ring the doorbell!" Charlie answered

"Come inside, you're my hostage now" Tom answered. Charlie grimaced but obeyed his mind twirling the possibilities of the outcome of this event as he heard the sirens coming closer. A buzzer sounded and the door opened. Charlie stepped inside bringing into sight Tom who was completely decked out with a gas mask and everything.

"Shut the door" Tom ordered. Charlie just stood there his hands raised in the universal surrender stance.

"You don't want to do that" Charlie said "Someone is going to die. You. Me. Maybe both of us if I shut that door" He paused giving Tom a moment to take it in.

"You're not a killer Tom" A moment passed

"You're not a killer"

Tom lowered his gun when a flash bang was thrown into the room.

LIFE_LIFE

Charlie sat on the couch a headache bugging the hell out of him. He held a towel over his face trying to block out the light that was now causing the headache.

"Are you sure you're okay Reese sometimes the emotional wounds are the hardest to see"

"Yes I am fine" Dani answered back cooly to Tidwell. Charlie sighed of course no one would ask if he was alright. It stung a little but by now he was used to it with Reese and just about the whole damn homicide department.

"I'm fine, you know, if you're asking" He said interrupting Tidwell's annoying and completely pointless and unnecessary questioning. Both his partner and Tidwell ignored him. He just smiled to himself. Of course he thought again who would ever care to think about Charlie Crews? Dani walked up to him her face not amused or worried. It showed plain irritation. Of course inside she was feeling awful. How the hell could Crew's do that to her? She had thought he was dead. He had just walked into that situation without a thought to death. She fumed for a few seconds before it occurred to her. Maybe it was because he thought no one care, maybe that had made him not care anymore. She shook the thought away and walked up to Crew's glaring and said.

"Come on let's go question Tom"


	5. Christmas: A time for giving

"So when are we going to exchange gifts?" Charlie asked out of the blue. Dani was taken by surprise as her eyes lighted with confusion that quickly died however as she realized Charlie was doing that one thing again.

"What for?" she answered

"You know, Christmas the holidays, to show our partnership" Dani raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah whatever Crew's" she answered walking to the crime scene.

LIFE_LIFE

When Dani saw Crew's sitting on the bench surrounded by shopping bags she was incredulous.

"I thought we split up to look for information" she stated clearly annoyed.

"We did" Charlie answered. He pulled out a book and pointed to it

"Did you know you can learn French and Dutch in fourteen days!" He paused pulling up more books. He showed them to Dani a childish happiness showing through. Dani barely concealed her smile as she saw how nearly every store had duped her partner. She shook her head wondering how someone so smart could be so stupid.

"The World's changed so much" Charlie said his voice becoming ever so slightly sad. Dani saw an intense sadness enter his eyes. It was quickly concealed by a quirky smile but Dani had seen and it made her wonder. She noticed that she wondered more often than not about Charlie. She knew he was dangerous but somehow he reminded her more of a desperate wounded animal. He struggled through a lot of emotions and tried to hide it. She wondered if that was what prison did to you, made you feel so broken. She shrugged thinking back to her drug days, it had been like that for her. If Charlie was going through anything near to what she had gone through, those horrible feelings of loneliness and despair, she wasn't sure how he managed not to brake down ever day. But Dani didn't want to think about that, to be responsible, even in a small way, for what Charlie went through day to day, so she shrugged and continued like nothing had ever happened. She pretended that Charlie was just a normal guy without a long past.

LIFE_LIFE

Dani never did end up getting Charlie a present. She had been surprised that he had gotten one for her. She convinced herself that it didn't matter because Charlie could afford gifts and she couldn't, at least not at the same quality. So she forgot and again had no idea what that was like for Charlie.

Charlie sat in front of the small Christmas tree he had purchased and placed in his empty living room. He sat in front of his hands placed firmly on the ground supporting him as he looked up at the star on top of the tree. He then looked down at the bottom of the tree to see it empty. The absence of the gifts didn't bother him in the way that it would most. He could care less if he was given a one dollar little doll or a huge tv. The only thing that bothered him was the fact that it seemed that everyone had forgotten him this holiday. He almost laughed when he though how cliche it was. The classic all alone on Christmas eve. Instead he thought of everyone who would or could have been with him. His wife, this was the fourteenth year he had spent a Christmas without her, but the last thirteen had always been with someone, whether a inmate of Ted he had never had to spend them utterly alone.

Ted wasn't there either. He was most likely at a bar drinking away the pain of not having Olivia, drinking away as he reminisced, forgetting about Charlie completely. Then there was his dad. That one was particularly painful. His dad chose not to be with him, he hated his son and the feeling was bitterly returned. He wanted his dad to care because then he could forgive him then maybe they could be father and son again. But his father some how thought it was Charlie's duty to say sorry and Charlie knew that that was wrong so they were at a stalemate. His mom wasn't there but if she had been alive he knew she would've been there. He smiled a little as he cried. Just knowing that his mom would've been there for him made him at least a little happier. Dani was the last one. He wasn't sure how to feel. He wanted Dani to be there or at least to have given him some crappy Christmas card but she hadn't. Maybe he asked for too much from people.

So Charlie sat there and wondered about his use in life while Dani sat at the family dinner table watching the festivities. Dani was wondering about not getting a gift for Charlie, to her it wasn't important it was just a little thing, but she wondered because to Charlie little things always mean a lot. But she shrugged it off because how could forgetting to get a partner a gift make a difference.


	6. Promise to care

Hey guys its been a while hasn't it? Well this is the last chapter and will include some Charlie abuse, so I hope you enjoy the last installment of this sortofish exciting but very angsty story!

* * *

><p>It had been several months since Christmas and the weather was just starting to get a little warmer and the flowers and plants were just starting to push their way back into the world. Unfortunately for Charlie he was sitting in his office having to miss out on the worlds rebirth and the beginning of spring. It surprised him the amount of paperwork that went with police work. He couldn't help but wonder why he had thought this was such a cool job when he was a kid. Charlie was growing extremely bored especially since Dani hadn't come in yet so he began to doodle on his post-it-notes drawing what looked to be misshapen plants and flowers. He became so immersed with this current project that he failed to hear Reese as she came up behind him.<p>

"Is that supposed to be a flower?"

Charlie didn't answer but continued meticulously drawing the spring scene.

"It kinda looks like a dead guy"

"We see what our eyes always want and what our hearts cry to speak"

Charlie said this continuing to draw. Dani raised her eyebrows.

"You know I don't think I am ever going to understand what goes in your head let alone what comes out of you mouth"

Charlie stopped drawing and just turned around and smiled. Dani shook her head and walked over to her desk. As she sat down her mouth pulled into an unpleasant frown.

"Dang I forgot about all the paperwork. Can't God just let someone else do it!"

Charlie was about to open his mouth but Tidwell walked in stopping both of them.

"We got a body down on Weber st.. The forensics team already sent in a report so I want you two to check it out but pull out of there fast and get this case wrapped up we're behind on our filing and the district attorney has been on my ass this whole morning about it. So work some magic and get it done."

Charlie and Dani exchanged a look as Tidwell walked away. He was in a crabby mood. Both of them however jumped up at the opportunity to escape paperwork even if for just a couple of days.

* * *

><p>The body that was in front of them was very fresh, dead maybe three hours from what the forensics said. It was as usual a young female around her late 20's left in her frontroom with three bullet wounds riddling her chest. The scene seemed climatically cliche. Some of the furniture had been over turned the neighbors claimed to have heard her arguing with her boyfriend when some shots were fired followed by a long silence. The cops had arrived but the boyfriend was gone.<p>

Dani grimaced and shook her head.

"To think that petty stuff leads to such serious stuff, I bet he caught her cheating or vice versa."

Charlie didn't respond but continued looking around the crime scene. Dani acted as if he had spoke and continued the conversation.

"Well we better put out an arrest warrant and call the family"

Charlie still didn't answer and Dani turned to look at him. He held up a sticky note as if proving a point. She raised her eyebrows giving him a look asking what?

"I think I know where the boyfriend is"

* * *

><p>The address on the sticky note led them to another apartment this time on the less attractive side of town. They both got out of the car and Charlie went to the back to get the bullet proof vests. Dani however stopped him.<p>

"Do you really think our perp is going to run off to a random address you found on a sticky note?"

Charlie didn't say anything at first but he stood at the trunk looking at her with an expressionless face. Dani shot him a skeptical look when he wouldn't budge. Charlie didn't argue and Dani frowned as he stepped toward the apartment still silent. It had been weird between them for the last couple of months and Charlie was often completely silent. It was weird to have switched roles. Charlie was usually the talkative one.

They walked into the complex walking up dirty stairs into an even dirtier hallway. They went to the door on the note and Charlie knocked. The door was opened by a crazed looking man who's hands were covered in blood. He was holding a gun and it was immediately drawn up and pointed at the two cops. Before either of them could draw their weapons he fired at the more intimidating of the targets and dashed past the cops. Charlie dropped to the ground blood pouring from the left of his chest right where his lung was. Dani turned drawing her weapon and fired three shots all of them striking the murderer. Once the perp was on the ground most likely dead Dani turned to attend to Charlie.

His breathing was harsh and she pulled out her radio and radioed it in. Then Dani began administering the basic first aid. Always start with the ABC's. Airway, breathing, compressions. She tried to avoid looking at Charlies face. It was so full of fear and pain she could see that he was somewhere else his eyes glazed over. Dani continued the first aid as if in a trance. She kept trying to compartamentalize not think about what was happening.

Finally the paramedics arrived and swept Crews away. She was left there with Tidwell hanging over her and blood coating her hands.

* * *

><p>The man had died. Reese's shooting had been straight and true. And now she was sitting in Crew's hospital room her hands with nothing to do and her mind with nothing to occupy it. She wanted Charlie to wake up. She willed it with her entire being. But fate wasn't forgiving and made her sit there thinking back on all her times with Charlie. Somehow guilt became an overriding emotion as she reviewed memories where Charlie had let his facade slip and showed how completely alone and miserable he was. She had kicked him to the side and now he was dying in some stupid hospital because she hadn't listened to her partner when he had tried to fufill the safety protocol. She corrected herself quickly as she reminded herself that the doctors had informed her that despite severe lung damage he would be fine and to give him time to heal and wake up on his own.<p>

Dani frowned and rubbed her brow as she remembered all the times she had been so unpleasant to him and for once she dwelt on the fact that he had no one besides the other ex-convict and the few people at work who cared a little about him. He had no one and she hadn't seen it. She felt inadequate as a partner. He probably thought she hated him. I mean she had tazed him and told him to suck up a concussion and multiple other wounds telling him in an obscure or sometimes not so obscure way that it was his fault. She had been a horrible partner and she was finding it difficult to think of a way to remedy that. And that was when Charlie woke up his blue eyes opening in a groggy medicated confusion. But somehow he narrowed in on her face and held her gaze and smiled in genuine happiness. Happiness that someone was finally there for him and happiness that his partner was looking on with care and concern and an awareness of what she'd done wrong. And as Dani saw him look at her and realize that she realized that he forgave her for everything. Dani smiled making a silent contrite promise to care and be there for her partner. And Charlie smiled back.


End file.
